I cannot get Phone Link to work on my Surface Pro11 with my Galaxy S25+ phone.

Steven Passman 40 Reputation points
2026-08-31T16:55:52.31+00:00

I cannot get Phone Link to work on my Surface Pro11 with my Galaxy S25+ phone. The Surface indicates that the phone is not connected despite trying to add it as a device through Bluetooth. Link to Windows app on the phone has all permissions enabled. Both devices are on the same home network. Phone link is listed in my default apps. The SMS default file type/link type is set to Phone Link URL.sms. The TEL setting is Phone Link URL.tel. I called Microsoft Help and was sent to Assuriant. I explained the issue and the call got dropped before any help was offered. Can someone explain why this is happening for the last few days? Thank you!

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Connect Phone and PC
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Answer accepted by question author
Alex-L 12,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-09-02T08:39:15.7533333+00:00

Hi Steven Passman

One thing I'd add is that Phone Link doesn't rely on traditional Bluetooth pairing alone. Even if the phone appears under Bluetooth devices, the connection still needs to be established through the Phone Link / Link to Windows pairing process using the same Microsoft account on both devices. Also, you're not the only one reporting this behavior. There have been similar reports from other Galaxy S25 users experiencing Bluetooth and Phone Link connection issues, so this may not be specific to your Surface Pro 11. If you haven't already done so, I'd recommend completely unlinking the phone from Phone Link on both devices and relinking it using the QR-code setup flow.

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AI answer

2026-08-31T16:56:09.77+00:00

This usually happens when Phone Link and Link to Windows are paired incorrectly or the existing link state is stuck. For Phone Link, Bluetooth pairing alone is not the main setup path. Use the Phone Link pairing flow and reset the link between the PC and phone.

Try this in order:

  1. Confirm the basics
    • Sign in to both Phone Link on the Surface and Link to Windows on the Galaxy S25+ with the same Microsoft account.
    • Make sure Battery saver is off on both devices.
    • Confirm both devices have an active Wi-Fi connection.
  2. Turn off Android battery optimization for Link to Windows
    • On Android, open Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization.
    • Find Link to Windows and select Don't optimize.
    • On some Android devices, the path is Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage > All, then turn Link to Windows Off.
  3. Check Windows settings on the Surface Pro 11
    • Open Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps and make sure Phone Link can run in the background.
    • Open Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences. If Fix now appears under Accounts, select it and complete the prompts.
  4. Check Android notification settings
    • Open Settings > Apps or Apps & notifications > Link to Windows and make sure notifications are enabled.
    • Open Settings > Sounds or Sounds & Vibration / Sounds & Notifications and make sure Do not disturb is Off.
  5. Fully unlink and relink the phone Since the problem started recently and the Surface shows the phone as not connected, remove the old link and create a new one:
    • On the Galaxy phone, open Link to Windows.
    • Under Linked Account, tap the Microsoft account name.
    • Go to Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account.
    • Confirm Unlink.
    • On the Surface, open Phone Link > Settings > Devices > Add new device.
    • Follow the on-screen steps to pair the Android phone again.
  6. If Phone Link shows a QR reconnection prompt
    • Update both apps first:
      • On the phone: Link to Windows > Settings > About Link to Windows > Check for updates.
      • On the PC: Phone Link > Settings > General > down arrow after Phone Link version > Check for updates.
    • Then scan the QR code shown in Phone Link with the phone camera.
    • Follow the prompts on both devices and sign in with the Microsoft account.
    • If needed, select the refresh button next to the connection status in Phone Link.
  7. If it still does not reconnect
    • Restart Phone Link on the PC after completing the unlink/relink steps.
    • If connection problems continue, reset the app using the reset guidance referenced in the troubleshooting page.

The default app settings for SMS and TEL are not the likely cause here. The issue is more likely the Phone Link connection state, app background behavior, battery optimization, or an incomplete account link between the Surface and the Galaxy phone.

A separate limitation to be aware of: Phone Link does not support multiple Android profiles or work accounts. Only the default Android profile is supported.

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